Rotating machinery involves transmission of rotary power through shafts which are often drivingly connected end-to-end through couplings. It is necessary to align such shafts and couplings to minimize bending stresses, axial loads and angular velocity disturbances which cause wear fatigue and failure of rotating machinery. In the past, shaft and coupling misalignments have been measured and attempts to correct the misalignment have been limited to shimmering of various components, or remachining of components to bring the drive shaft and couplings into alignment. Tedious shimmering and measurement procedures were used to achieve the desired alignment. In addition to bring a trying trial and error procedure, shimmering for shaft alignment does not offer an appropriate degree of precision or repeatability, and there is deformation of components upon improper bolt torquing.
The present invention is concerned with apparatus for overcoming some of the difficulties mentioned above. It provides a two part accessory-carrying housing which is adapted for relative pivotal adjustment on itself for both angularly and laterally shifting the accessory shaft for aligning it axially with the axis of a power take off shaft on an engine or other machine.